transcurrents

Govt Must Try To Win Hearts and minds Of Tamil People In the East

July 31st, 2007

By Major -Gen A. M. U. Seneviratne (Rtd)

It is encouraging to note several articles by professionals as well as journalists appearing on the above subject in the aftermath of the successes in the Eastern Province. If anyone proclaims that the East is devoid of terrorists, it is a wrong assumption. The Karuna fraction which supports the government directly or indirectly is not yet a total political entity that has given up arms. Celebrating successes in battles is not uncommon in Sri Lanka. This euphoria is temporary and will not last long.

Terrorists of all Tamil Eelam groups such as, TELO, EPRLF, LTTE etc. had their tentacles spread all over the Eastern Province. The Tamil population has been sympathizing, supporting and sustaining these small groups for a long period. The LTTE gradually and systematically eliminated their EPRLF and TELO colleagues or won them over. Some of their sympathizers thus became the supporters of the LTTE. Those supporters who opposed the LTTE were either eliminated or went into hiding and supported the Security Forces by providing intelligence.

If you study in detail the composition of the population in the Eastern Province, it is obvious that all those who were oppressed by the LTTE, and who suffered for two decades, including the Muslim population are no doubt now supporting the Government and Security Forces. It is quite obvious that the Government and Security Forces have, already won them over, but not their hearts and minds yet.

Just now winning their hearts and minds is much easier as the Security Forces have won many battles continuously in the East. What the people require is early and positive rehabilitation and meeting of their basic needs to engage in their traditional vocations and industries such as agriculture and fishing. These require the assurance of general security for their villages and for their movement, without being subjected to harassment by the Security Forces or by the remaining pockets of LTTE terrorists.

Past experience in the North and East has proved that the Security Forces who had defeated the LTTE in many major battles were overburdened with the responsibility of providing the essential services required for the population liberated by the Security Forces for protracted periods. This could be done to a certain extent till supply, transport, health and trade areas of the civil administration have safe functional access to the affected areas, but not for long periods as being done now in Jaffna. This task is easier in the East due to much easier access available by road, rail and sea, unlike in the North.

All Civil Administrative Departments of the Centre and the Provinces must mobilize and deploy their men and material immediately in the Eastern Province to give relief to the population affected during the past two decades. The Government may have to do this at the expense of the rest of the country, who should understand the urgency of the requirement and fall in line. Those affected worse may be the people who were with the LTTE in some areas in the Eastern Province. Their children were forcibly recruited; they were taxed to the maximum, their labour forcibly utilized for LTTE logistics. To be free from these burdens and assured that they are now safe from the clutches of the LTTE will definitely turn them towards the Government and Security Forces. The Government must never fail to win them over without pushing them back to the same status as they were under the LTTE.

Some say that the government should not engage combat troops in civil administrative work which is the responsibility of the civil administration. This however, does not mean that they should totally withdraw the troops from the Eastern Province. This could never be done, and I am sure it will never be done.

The top brass are experienced enough to decide on the quantum of troops required for the Eastern Province to meet the exigencies and maintain and consolidate the areas liberated in the recent past. The intelligence and surveillance aspects cannot be over-emphasized.

The government servants in the East who have been working under the LTTE for two decades too have to be won over. They cannot be categorized totally as LTTE sympathizers, since they had no choice but to work under the LTTE in the absence of control of the Government. I am aware under the barrel of the LTTE, surgeons of the government hospitals operated on LTTE casualties, the fisheries officials distributed boats and nets supplied by the Government only to pro-LTTE fisher folk. Government officers often did only work allocated to them by the LTTE; using government funds. Of course, many such government officers also, would have benefited personally. Sorting out the past mess is time consuming and is not meant to penalize, and further alienate those errant officers. Treat them impartially and be fair in all dealings with them without taking revenge.

The Rehabilitation of the Eastern Province which involves the reconstruction of thousands of houses damaged during the war, repair and reconstruction of the infrastructure such as roads and rail, the power distribution, tanks and network of irrigation canals, the hospitals and schools which are essential for the people is going to cost the government a colossal amount of money. Since the funds generated from within the country will not be sufficient to meet the massive demand, invariably we will have to look for the donor countries, of whom some have already suspended their flow of funds, under the pretext of the human rights issue. Donors are bound to demand transparency in all such dealings. The government will have to be cautious and carefully account for all such funds received, either on a long term credit basis or as outright donations.

The questionable foreign NGOs who are already in the scene too will be involved in the rehabilitation work. The government will have to monitor their activities more closely without antagonizing them, as they too are agents of many Western donor countries. The present ground situation will not allow some NGOs to be partial in their activities as happened in the past.

The task ahead for the Government and Security Forces is arduous, urgent and important. Missing this golden opportunity is going to cost the country heavily, if not, tackled seriously and effectively without delay. Politicizing this situation is going to bring disastrous results to all communities particularly in the East and to the rest of the country in general.

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